House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said Tuesday that no one expects President Biden to be “on cocaine” during the debate later this week, despite suggestions otherwise from President Trump and his allies.
Johnson joined CNN’s Caitlin Collins to discuss Trump telling supporters at a recent rally that Biden “is going to be really excited,” referencing bags of cocaine found in the White House last year.
Collins asked Johnson what he thought about the former president’s accusations.
“There’s a lot of stuff being said in jest,” Johnson said in an interview. Highlighted by Mediaite. “Of course, no one expects Joe Biden to take cocaine.”
Biden’s age and mental capacity have been a concern for many Republicans, especially since the special counsel released a report earlier this year that portrayed the sitting president as “an old man with a frail memory.” Johnson added that it’s “natural” for people to have doubts about Biden’s leadership skills.
The Louisiana Republican said he was concerned about the 81-year-old president’s energy level and behavior, and said Biden was likely drinking “an energy drink or something” during the debate.
The speaker was referring to Biden’s fiery State of the Union address in March, when Trump, conservative lawmakers and commentators suggested Biden was so energetic onstage that he may have taken performance-enhancing drugs before delivering the speech.
Johnson said he thinks Americans can expect Biden to appear on the debate stage in the same way he addressed Congress earlier this year.
“The question is, can he hold his own against President Trump, who can be onstage for 90 minutes, attend a rally and speak for two hours without notes,” he said. “So it’s going to be very interesting.”
The former president has continued to call for Biden to submit to a drug test before the debate and said on Monday that he would take one himself. Trump has not presented factual evidence to support his claim that the president would use drugs to enhance his performance.
The first presidential debate will take place on Thursday at 9pm EDT on CNN, hosted by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
Both Biden and Trump have been preparing for their first showdown since the chaotic first debate of the 2020 presidential election, with both sides agreeing to a set of rules that includes muting microphones.
